Aron Canet was the man to beat during Moto2 World Championship qualifying Saturday at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Spain. Riding his Fantic Racing Kalex on Pirelli control tires, the Spaniard turned a 1:42.003 to top the field of 32 riders.
Manuel Gonzalez was second-best with a 1:42.149 on his Gresini Kalex.
Zonta Vd Goorbergh claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:42.215 on his RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP Kalex.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Canet leads the field with Gonzalez in pursuit as Aldeguer crashes in Q2. The #44 has claimed pole position, beating Manuel Gonzalez and van den Goorbergh in Barcelona.
Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) has secured a sensational pole position at the Motul Solidarity Grand Prix of Barcelona, posting a magnificent 1:42.003 – a time which proved to be unbeatable. It was a hectic session, with Canet sitting on top on Saturday, continuing a strong weekend as he finished just 0.146s ahead of Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™). The Round 16 winner will take second position on the grid, with a solid starting point for the final Grand Prix of the season. Gonzalez will be joined by the impressive Zonta van den Goorbergh (RW-Idrofoglia Racing GP), who worked hard throughout Q2.
Canet’s strong form continues
Practice 2 kickstarted Saturday, with Canet improving on his strong time from Friday, allowing the Spaniard to remain at the top of the timesheets after setting a stunning 1:42.262. Q1 set the stage nicely after Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) took the top honours, with Senna Agius (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP), Albert Arenas (Gresini Moto2™) and Jaume Masia (Preicanos Racing Team) in the chasing pack – setting up a tense Q2.
Once the Q2 fight began, there was early drama for Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp), crashing at Turn 14 on his first flying lap – leaving a steep task for Sunday. Jorge Navarro (OnlyFans American Racing Team) crashed moments later, with van den Goorbergh becoming the early pacesetter. Just eight riders had time on the board heading into the final run, with Canet posting a strong 1:42.003 as everything came down to the final minute of Q2, with nobody able to beat Canet’s benchmark.
A difficult day for Sync SpeedUp
Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) jumped to fourth on the grid, with the British rider showing a consistent pace at the end of the session. Dixon will be alongside Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) on Sunday, with the newly crowned Moto2™ World Champion rounding out the top five on the grid. Meanwhile, Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) had another impressive qualifying – securing P6 on the grid.
Filip Salac (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) will head row three of the grid, placing in front of Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Celestino Vietti, with the Italian remaining in the fight for a spot inside the top five in the Championship. Navarro managed to recover to ninth, setting a competitive 1:42.667 to round off the third row. Some big names are left with work to do, most notably Lopez, who will be charging from P13 on the grid ahead of his teammate Aldeguer, who starts from P18.
The action continues in Barcelona, with race day just around the corner, make sure you join us on Sunday for lights out at 12:15 local time (UTC +1) as we go #RacingForValencia!